


my home is where my heart is

by aceofhearts88



Series: Sons of Stone [2]
Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types
Genre: Awesome Dwalin, Dwalin Is A Softie, Peek-a-boo, Thorin being ordered around, a king doing dishes, cute little smiles, dis being awesome, dwarflings, first beards, hinted Dwalin/Dis, pinky promises
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-22
Updated: 2015-02-22
Packaged: 2018-03-14 14:30:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,438
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3414158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aceofhearts88/pseuds/aceofhearts88
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Can be read as its own story or as a prequel to "Sons of Stone"</p><p>Dwalin returns home from guarding a caravan of merchants and he gets welcomed by with the warmth of his family and makes a promise or two.</p>
            </blockquote>





	my home is where my heart is

My home is where my heart is

Spring was almost in its highest bloom when his eyes caught sight of the dwarven settlement he called home now, for the first time in six months he was back home, back in the Blue Mountains. And his back straightened on his own accord where he was still sitting on the pony that slowly trotted up the path that led from the town of Men up to the gates of their small mountain.

Dwalin had been gone for six months, guarding a caravan of merchants to Dunland, usually a journey that should have had him back with his family after a month at the most. But then they had been ambushed by goblins in the mountains and he had lain on a sickbed until winter was so deep upon them that travelling had been impossible.

He had volunteered to this job even if they didn't really need the money that badly anymore, they had slowly started to get back on their feet after the catasstrophic first two years after Azanulbizar, and before he had been offered to escort the caravan to Dunland for a nice price, Balin and Thorin had both been relieved to announce that they would make it through the winter without help.

So he could have said no, but there was no shame in having a back-up in case something went wrong, sickness had been their worst enemy since not living under a mountain anymore, and medicine was expensive. Still though he could have said no or offered the job to anyone else, he had trained good soldiers, good warriors and good guards, young blood was eager to prove themselves, and everyone would have probably understood. 

Everyone knew just how much he was a center role in raising the two little princes of Durin's line, just how grateful Dis was for his presence in the house when Thorin and Balin needed to head out for negotiations and trade talk again. And usually no dwarf would force another one away from his little boys, his own or not, children were too precious for them.

But Dwalin had gone, had agree to go, knowing that it would take him away from giggling small bodies of pure energy and sunshine for longer than his heart could take after all the horrors he had witnessed. He had gone because it was his duty to protect Thorin and his people, and if protecting meant making sure they had enough money to survive a winter no matter how hard it was, then he would ride with this caravan of merchants who had no respect for him at all.

The guards on either side of the gate and on top of the wall all jumped to straighten their posture as they caught sight of him, and Dwalin almost sighed in relief, finally respect again, finally people who knew him, finally familiar places. He had missed the simplicity of Ered Luin far more than he had ever thought possible, at least here he knew where the backstabbing would come from.

He dismounted and grabbed his pack the second the gate had been opened and his pony had trotted through it, loyal thing, deserved a long break and good meal just as much as him by then. None of the young recruits approached him aside from taking his pony away to the stables, they knew better than to force small talk on him, not when he looked this tired and exhausted, they merely nodded at him and then went back to their duty.

Dwalin shouldered his bag and went to take the small remaining uphill walk until he would be back in the halls of his family. It was midday on a Monday, so Thorin would be in his forge and Balin would be giving lessons, Fili among his little students. And if Dis went by her old shedule, she was likely at the market with Kili, and even if his heart screamed to see them, his feet ached for a bed, a real one, or a chair, just something soft to sit down upon.

Under a roof no less.

He turned another corner and found himself only thirty feet away from the giant cottage, people were going about their business, several smiled upon seeing him again, nodding or giving a small wave. Dwarrowdams were chatting with baskets in their hands, some empty, some full, dams on their way to and from the market, catching up on gossip.

Dwalin was barely able anymore to keep his eyes open when a shrill scream broke over the street, successfully stopping all conversation and prompting him to snap his head up, a movement that had his battered muscles screeching with pain. A pain that was entirely forgotten though the second he caught sight of the raven haired storm of energy barreling towards him from higher on the street where the wee dwarfling had been playing with his marbles in front of his uncle's house.

"DWALIN!", that high little voice screamed again and when he saw that widely grinning face, those tossled dark locks, those shining brown eyes, then nothing hurt anymore, not his blistered feet, not the bruised shoulder, not the aching muscles. Not a bone in his body was tired anymore when he dropped his bag to the ground and leaned down to swing the ecstatic little dwarfling up into his arms.

Oh what had he been afraid, oh what had he feared that the lad wouldn't recognize him anymore, so small, so young still, six months were such a long time in the little one's eyes. Half a year, for him it must have felt like a lifetime. But there he was, grinning from ear to another as always, smudge of dirt on his left cheek, soft brown eyes shining with so much happiness that Dwalin felt his heart bursting.

He was home.

"I miwwed you wo much, Dwalin.", Kili gleefully mumbled, toothgap showing in his grin before he buried his face in the crook of the tall warrior's neck, thin arms coming around his neck, squishing hard enough to almost have him choke, but Dwalin didn't care, just buried his own face in the mess of dark hair. The lad smelled as always of earth, trees and berries, and Mahal, he had missed them all so much.

"I missed you, too, little squirrel.", he said quietly, his voice gruff, but he felt Kili giggle against his skin and melt even more into his arms, still as small as always, not yet in those stages of growth spurts, and oh Dwalin never wanted him to grow up. He always wanted to keep him happy and giggly, he never wanted this ray of sunshine for all of them to change. Shifting Kili onto his hip, he leaned down to take up his bag again.

All around them the dwarves had picked up their doings again, some threw small smiles their way, endeared as always by the youngest Durin. Dwalin shouldered his bag, one of Kili's tiny and dirty hands stuck in his beard, and wasn't that a welcome and long missed gesture, as they crossed the last distance to the house that had once been three built close together. Once when they had arrived with so much more numbers to their family, when his parents had still been alive, when Dis had still had a husband, when Thorin hadn't been the oldest of his line. 

When his best friend hadn't been king in exile, but a prince, second in line to the throne, because his grandfather had ruled over them, his father and mother alive still as well. When it hadn't been two cheeky dwarlings wrecking havoc left and right but a green eyed younger prince of Durin who drove his brother crazy.

But those times were long gone. Lis and Fani lost to sickness. Thror, Fundin, Frerin all lost to Moria. Thrain and Vili lost to the demons inside their heads. Thorin and Dwalin had worked to make three empty houses one with their own hands and sweat, turned small paths between three cottages into corridors. They turned three houses into one home. And even if it was wood just as much as it was stone, these were Thorin's halls, and the home of his family.

"Unca and Amad are home.", Kili chattered merrily as they approached the front door and even though he wasn't expected to, Dwalin still raised his fist and knocked twice. Not three seconds later quick footsteps sounded from behind the door before Issa, one of two maids who worked for their king and princess of Erebor now, opened the heavy iron framed door.

"Oh, Lord Dwalin.", the young brunet dwarrowdam smiled and flushed, dropping into a curtsy, "Welcome home, my Lord.", and Dwalin quickly remembered why he liked her younger sister more, less stiff and glued to protocol, "Come in, King Thorin and Princess Dis are in their private halls.", rolling his eyes at Kili upon her formal tone as they stepped through the door, he had the youngster giggling up a storm.

Issa didn't seem to notice, instead she took coat and travel boots from him, pressing her lips into a thin line when her swift hands pulled the muddy boots off of Kili's wiggly feet. She vanished into a side corridor after taking his bag from him, and Dwalin took the first deep breath that smelled like home and safety. 

They found Thorin and Dis in mid-discussion in the private sitting room, her sitting on the couch, leather gloves on her lap, thick needle on one hand, the other one spread out to gesture as she scolded her brother for his recklessness as if he was still a little dwarling and not their king. Thorin was taking it all with the long suffering patience of an older brother, sitting on a footstool in front of her, black leather string wrapped around his hand, he held it out for his sister to take for her mending.

"To think that your people rely on you to negotiate trade routes when you can't even pick up the shards of a broken window without ripping your gloves like some starry eyed little dwarfling. Even Fili did a better job than you and he is nine.", Dis huffed nagging was met with stony silence, even if Dwalin could see that it took a lot of effort from his best friend not to grin or roll his eyes.

Kili decided than that it was the best moment to announce them, for neither Dis nor Thorin had until then noticed them, and the little bugger was as impatient as always, "WUPRIWE!", he yelled, his mother and uncle jumped and whirled around to face them, "Look I found!", beaming like the sun itself, Kili almost smacked him in the face when he spread his small arms wide, "Dwalin iw home."

Thorin quickly dropped the leather string and pushed himself to his feet, ready to welcome his oldest friend when Dis slammed his ripped gloves into his face and stormed past him, lips curled into a radiant smile, eyes glistening with shock and surprise. She crushed Dwalin to her chest, babbling vaguely over how she had missed him, eyes already filling with tears of joy of seeing him again.

Dwalin couldn't do anything else but hug her back, dropping his face into the braids in her hair as she sobbed against his chest, he knew he should have sent a raven. Life had been hard on Durin's only princess in the last year, and she must have worried endlessly in the last months, worried because some stupid rookie's mistake had almost cost him his life.

"I am so sorry for taking so long.", he quietly spoke up, tightening his hold on her, "It's a long story, but I am home now, and with the money they paid, I won't have to go away again for a long time. And if Mahal has mercy it will have been the last time.", Dis laughed through her sobs as Thorin approached, quietly leaning against his sister and touching his forehead to Dwalin's.  
"Welcome home, brother.", his deep voice offered and Dwalin nodded, watching from the corner of his eye how Kili stretched out his arms to his uncle to get freed out of that mighty uncomfortable position, squished between Dis and Dwalin as he was.

"Come on, squirrel, we'll give your Ma and Dwalin a moment and see if we can make some tea and push the fire a little higher.", Thorin took Kili away, listening to his nephew excitedly chatter away over how far he had snipped his marbles away. Dwalin leaned down to press a fleeting kiss upon Dis's head as she slowly calmed against his chest, wrapped in the warmth and safety of his arms.

"Oh in Durin's name, I missed you so much.", he confessed as she pulled away, wiping a hand over her eyes, "I thought about you and the boys for every second I had to spend in that damned town. I took a pony and rode home the first day that I could.", he stroked a finger down the side of her face and he sighed when she leaned into his touch.  
"What happened, Dwalin?", she wanted to know, but he shook his head, instead taking her hand in his and gently pulling her along the corridor to the kitchen.

"Not yet, my jewel. Just give me a day to rest. I will explain everything, I promise you.", Dis nodded, understanding, he could almost see how she must have only then realized how tired he looked. They reached the kitchen where Thorin was filling the tea kettle with water, Kili trapsing along the counter top right next to him, which immediately send Dis into another tirade about his kingly manners.

Dwalin just smiled at the sight of the siblings quarreling, only rushing to plug Kili from the counter and back onto his hip when Dis grabbed the cooking spoon from the table and marched towards her older brother who quickly raised his hands and backed up.  
"Oh it feels so good to be home.", and Kili laughed when his uncle squeaked as the spoon made contact with his ear.

\--

They settled down for tea and bread and cheese then, Kili being quiet for once as he listened to his uncle and father-figure catching up, fully content with sitting on Dwalin's lap at the big dinner table in their private kitchen. It remained like that until the backdoor opened and Balin's voice drifted over to them, camly speaking to the heir of Thorin's lost crown.

Said king turned towards his best friend when a little voice answered his teacher's question as they presumbly took off their shoes.  
"You will be in for a surprise.", Thorin grinned almost, Dis went to her feet to get more mugs and plates as Balin and Fili approached the kitchen, their little prince appearing first in the door, before Dwalin could have asked what Thorin had meant.

But then he could see it himself.

"Ma?", the blond little lion called into the kitchen, ink on his fingers and cheek, only...he wasn't so small anymore, grown he had, and much at that, and his hair, so long already now, "Can we...", and there blue eyes fell upon the tall dwarf next to his uncle at the table, and the returned second son of Fundin was once more rewarded with a shrill scream of his name, "DWALIN!"

Fili yelled and threw all proper behavior that he was usually so proud of away, raced over to him and threw himself into awaiting arms, Thorin having taken Kili into his own arms only second before.  
"You're back!", their little lion exclaimed, pulling back from the surprisingly strong hold on Dwalin's neck, kneeling on his thighs the lad came up to his nose already, and then Dwalin saw what Thorin must have meant with surprise.

"Look at you!", Dwalin's voice boomed around the room as he raised one hand to stroke over the soft hairs on Fili's ink smudged cheek, "Blimey, did ya glue fur to yar face?", Fili beamed and shook his head, braids went flying.  
"No, no.", he protested loudly, "It's a real beard, Dwalin. It started to grow!", and he puffed out his chest in pride and strength and Dwalin felt his throat go dry, and he pulled Fili back into his arms, the lad willingly throwing his arms around his neck again and hugging him so tight.

"He was devastated when it showed one morning. Took Thorin and Balin hours to console him.", Dis said, Balin having turned the table as well to greet his brother shortly, mindful of the happy dwarfling between them, before he took his seat next to their princess.  
"Devastated?", Dwalin asked in confusion, pushing Fili away again until he could look at that suddenly sheepish looking face, "Now why would someone be devastated over such fine hair?"

"Because you weren't there.", Fili answered honestly, blue eyes almost tearing up again, "Everyone was there but you and I wanted you to be there.", and Dwalin felt his stomach being churned up, it still brought him to his knees every day when he saw that devotion in blue and brown eyes where others cowered in fear.

Fili and Kili had never seen anything but the best in him, he was their hero just as much as their uncle was, and he wondered how he would ever be able to repay them for the miracle they had brought into his life. Full of pain and horror and darkness as it had been. And it was there and then that he swore to himself that no matter how high the price was, he would never leave Ered Luin again for more than a day, not if it meant leaving the boys behind.

And he caught blue intelligent eyes and held them steadily with his own grey ones, "Fili, son of Dis, my prince.", he started in his grumbling voice and Fili perked up immediately, straightening his spine he pushed himself up taller and bigger than he really was, ears and eyes wide open and attentive, always knowing when something was more serious for a change. But this time even Kili noticed how important his next words would be and he pulled his little face out from where he had been playing peek-a-boo with his uncle and long dark hair.

Thorin and Balin had both raised an eyebrow at Dwalin, only Dis smiled down at her tea, as always she was able to look straight into Dwalin's thoughts, he assumed."  
"Here on this day, I swear to you that I will not miss another important moment in your life or your brother's. I will never leave Kili or you for more than a few days.", Fili nodded seriously for a moment, but then that little smirk that would later have skirts turn left and right slipped onto his lips, and he held up a hand, pinky finger spread off from it.

"You promise?", he called out, and Dwalin would have laughed if that hadn't ruined the moment, of course he would take a pinky promise more to heart than oaths sworn in witness of his king. Dwalin held up his own finger, Fili wrapped his smaller one around it as good as possible.

"I promise."

And he would keep his word until his dying day.

\--

They finished tea time in merry chatter then with Fili and Kili going on and on about what they had done in their mornings, Fili told about what Balin had taught him. And Dwalin just let himself fall into the warmth of home and family, having one dwarfling each sitting on his thighs. Somewhere in between Thorin went to get to the door as knocking sounded on the backdoor where friends only would appear, the maids knew to let them answer it themselves unless otherwise told.

"It seems like news of your return had spread quite quickly.", the raven haired king chuckled as he returned, two tiny heads poking out from behind his legs, white teeth showing in their wide grins. Fili and Kili grinned in return, and Dwalin's laughter boomed through the room as the two small lasses scrambled out from behind Thorin as he reached out a hand.

Skirts flying they rushed over and with the ease of someone who had done it countless times already, they climbed upon his lap as well, the taller of the two, brunet hair neatly braided back, clapped both arms around Kili's middle to settle in behind him on Dwalin's left side, while her smaller friend blushed as nicely as always when Fili depositioned her on his lap.

"Mimi, Dwalin promised to never leave again.", the golden haired dwarfling turned to his best friend, who turned inquisitive and brown eyes up to see the truth in it herself.  
"By my heart, Gemini, not leaving again.", and just as expected another pinky finger shot up, while Kili and Lifa looked on in confusion, too young still to really understand the meaning of it all.

Dwalin chuckled and let the brunet lass wrap her pinky finger around his, "You promise?", her voice, already tinkling like bells, inquired and he nodded.  
"I promise, Gemini, daughter of Hogur.", the other adults in the kitchen were already hiding their smiles in their tea cups but Dwalin knew that his brother and Thorin would later tease him endlessly again. Whipped he was, wrapped around small fingers.

Gemini, just as quick and smart as her blond friend, only mere days younger than him, whipped her head around to look at Fili, both of them dead serious.  
"He'll have to swear on the stone, otherwise it won't hold.", Thorin snorted into his tea and masked it as a cough after Dis kicked him under the table, herself barely able to keep it together anymore, eyes fixed on her plate.

"Aye, we will have to do that.", Fili agreed, before he turned to his mother, "Can we go out, Ma? I'll do my runes later.", Dis nodded quickly, lips already curled into a smile, Fili beamed and slid from Dwalin's leg with Lifa in his arms, and once on the ground he reached for the wooden toy sword and strapped it to his belt before kneeling down to let the toddler climb on his back.

Gemini climbed off his lap as well and then helped Kili down, holding his hand tightly in hers, "I'll have them back for dinner, my lady.", Dis nodded once more, lip quivering with suppressed laughter upon the lass's serious voice, brown eyes turned to Dwalin again, "We will get everything ready and then get you, Master Dwalin. Get some rest until then.", and then he followed her golden prince out of the kitchen and the children's excited chatter rang out in the corridor until the backdoor fell shut.

Dis was the first to start laughing loudly, quickly followed my Balin, while Thorin shook his head and grinned down at the cheese on his plate. Dwalin chuckled and then sighed deeply.  
"Remind me again, my friend, who is running this mountain?", Thorin mock glared at him, but then laughed himself, and it didn't it warm his heart to see his best friend this carefree for once.  
"If it goes after her taste, Gemini will have utter control by the time she turns 50. Fili is already melting like butter in her hands."

"Well, we couldn't have found a better leader. Mimi is smart, stubborn and kind hearted. And she knows how to pick up broken glass without making an even greater mess.", Dis chuckled, getting to her feet and collecting their by then empty mugs, dropping a quick kiss on Dwalin's bald head as she walked by, "She also knows that sugar cubes are not breakfast, that counter tops are not a place for dwarflings and that a king should know better than to tell his nephew horror stories in the dark.", dumping the mugs in the sink, Dis turned around to glare at Thorin who huffed and stared back.

"And I know who will do the washing up until it is time to get back into the forge, and do not dare call Issa for help.", she might have been the younger sister but Dis knew how to keep her older brother in check, Thorin grumbled something under his breath but still pushed up his sleeves and got to work. Dwalin just couldn't stop grinning, it was always best at home, "I'll have to take those gloves to Dori, see if he has an idea on how to fix them. Next time you want to show the boys how to throw something, better do it outside or ask Mimi if she can help cleaning up, my dear brother."

The following shriek of Dis as Thorin splashed two hands full of dish water in her face got drowned out by the heavy laughter coming from Dwalin's loud laughter. No, he would certainly never leave again.

\--

Later that evening, laying in his bed, arms full of wriggly sleepy dwarflings as he read the legend of the dwarven warrior who fought against an entire army of elves and came out unscratched and victorious, Dwalin knew that he would give all the gold and all the riches in the world to make sure that these boys would have the future they deserve.

There was nothing in the world worth more than their smiles, and he would throw everything away if it meant keeping them safe and joyful.He would fight wars for them, fight armies for them, face death for them, if it meant they were happy, he would gladly die. He might have not been the best dwarf, might have been a lousy dwarven lord. His methods might have been frowned upon, many might fear him and shy away from one look alone, even if he didn't want them to.

But as he finished the tale, put the book away and watched a sleeping Fili pressed up to his side, one arm around his middle, and Kili shifting how he was splayed out over his chest, mumbling a sleepy "I love you, Dwalin." up to him, there was only one thought on his mind as he pulled the blanket over them, leaning back into the pillows to let sleep claim him as well.

It couldn't be all lost.

Because if that little kid likes me, how bad can I be.

"I love you, too, my boys."

**Author's Note:**

> Second to last line was taken from the movie "Wreck it Ralph"


End file.
